Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antidepressant consumption in the Central region of Portugal: interrupted time series.

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the consumption of antidepressive agents in Central Portugal.

Methods: To estimate the causal effect of the pandemic an interrupted time series analysis was conducted. Data of antidepressant drugs monthly dispensed in community pharmacies between Jan-2010 and Dec-2021 were provided by the regional Health Administration.

Discrepancies among equations to estimate the glomerular filtration rate for drug dosing decision making in aged patients: a cross sectional study.

Background: Patients often require adjustments to drug doses due to impaired renal function. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation using various equations can result in discrepancies, potentially leading to different dose adjustment recommendations.

Aim: To determine the clinical significance of discrepancies observed between different equations used to estimate GFR for drug dose adjustments in a real-world group of patients over 65 years in primary care.

Development and validation of a Medication Adherence Universal Questionnaire: the MAUQ.

Background: Different questionnaires assess self-reported medication adherence and others quantify aspects of patients attitudes towards medication, but not together in a single instrument. Gathering these two aspects in a single instrument could reduce patients survey burden.

Aim: The aim of this study was to develop the Medication Adherence Universal Questionnaire (MAUQ) using the Maastricht Utrecht Adherence in Hypertension short version (MUAH-16) factorial structure as the hypothesized model.

A Universal Pharmacological-Based List of Drugs with Anticholinergic Activity.

Anticholinergic burden tools have relevant pharmacological gaps that may explain their limited predictive ability for clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to provide a universal pharmacological-based list of drugs with their documented affinity for muscarinic receptors. A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify the anticholinergic burden tools.

[Correction to the article "Medication Reconciliation During Admission to an Internal Medicine Department: A Pilot Study", Published as Ahead of Print on Acta Med Port 2022.].

Na página 9, Figura 2 onde se lê:73,53%Deverá ler-se:76,48%Artigo publicado com erros: https://www.actamedicaportuguesa.com/revista/index.

Evaluation of a sample of Portuguese hypertensive patients' knowledge about hypertension and its influence on their beliefs and adherence to therapy.

Introduction And Objectives: Patient knowledge about hypertension is an important patient-related determinant for poor blood pressure control and is a target for more effective interventions. We aimed to evaluate hypertensive patients' knowledge and awareness about hypertension and its influence on their beliefs about their medication and their adherence to antihypertensive therapy.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult patients attending one of the participating pharmacies and taking at least one antihypertensive drug.

Pharmacist-led medication reconciliation on admission to an acute psychiatric hospital unit.

Background: Therapy management in patients suffering from mental health disorders is complex and the risks derived from changes or interruptions of treatment should not be ignored. Medication reconciliation in psychiatry may reduce medication errors and promote patient safety during transitions of care.

Objective: To identify the influence of complementary information sources in the construction of the best possible medication history, and to ascertain the potential clinical impact of discrepancies identified in a medication reconciliation service.

Evaluation of Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy Guideline Adherence and Risk Factor Control in Portuguese Community Pharmacy Patients.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Assessing the patients' CVD risk, controlling the risk factors, and ensuring the guideline-adherent cardiovascular pharmacotherapy are crucial interventions to improve health outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of pharmacists to improve the adherence to pharmacotherapy guidelines and the achievement of risk factor goals among patients who attended a community pharmacy.

Prescription trends at the end of life in a palliative care unit: observational study.

Background: Symptomatic control is essential in palliative care, particularly in end-of-life, in which the pathophysiological changes that characterize this last phase of life strengthen the need to carry out an early therapeutic review. Hence, we aim to evaluate the prescribing pattern at a palliative care unit at two different time points: on admission and the day of the patient's death.

Methods: Quantitative, analytic, longitudinal, retrospective and observational study.

[Medication Reconciliation During Admission to an Internal Medicine Department: A Pilot Study].

Introduction: The purpose of medication reconciliation is to promote patient safety by reducing medication errors and adverse events due to medication discrepancies in transition of care. The aim of this pilot study of medication reconciliation at the time of hospital admission was to identify the necessary resources for its implementation in clinical practice.

Material And Methods: Pilot study with 100 patients admitted to an Internal Medicine department between October and December 2019, aged 18 and over, and chronically taking at least one medicine.

Feasibility of cardiovascular risk screening in Portuguese community pharmacies.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of human mortality. As highly accessible and qualified health professionals, community pharmacists can be included in the early detection of patients at risk for CVD by implementing CVD screening programs.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of CVD risk screening services in Portuguese community pharmacies from the evaluation of customers acceptability.

Proof-of-Concept Study of Multifunctional Hybrid Nanoparticle System Combined with NIR Laser Irradiation for the Treatment of Melanoma.

The global impact of cancer emphasizes the importance of developing innovative, effective and minimally invasive therapies. In the context of superficial cancers, the development of a multifunctional nanoparticle-based system and its in vitro and in vivo safety and efficacy characterization are, herein, proposed as a proof-of-concept. This multifunctional system consists of gold nanoparticles coated with hyaluronic and oleic acids, and functionalized with epidermal growth factor for greater specificity towards cutaneous melanoma cells.

Implications of a defined daily dose fixed database for drug utilization research studies: The case of statins in Portugal.

Aims: Given the discrepancies between PDDs (prescribed daily doses) and DDDs (defined daily doses), we aimed to assess the extent of error in the results of an 18-year population-level study on statin utilization in Portugal.

Methods: The Portuguese regulatory agency provided data for the period 2000-2018 on statin dispensing (C10AA). The DDDs were gathered from the ATC/DDD database.

A Step Forward in Breast Cancer Research: From a Natural-Like Experimental Model to a Preliminary Photothermal Approach.

Breast cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignancies and common causes of cancer death in women. Recent studies suggest that environmental exposures to certain chemicals, such as 7,12-Dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA), a chemical present in tobacco, may increase the risk of developing breast cancer later in life. The first-line treatments for breast cancer (surgery, chemotherapy or a combination of both) are generally invasive and frequently associated with severe side effects and high comorbidity.

Role of pharmacist during the COVID-19 pandemic: A scoping review.

Background: Since the start of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in December 2019, pharmacists worldwide are playing a key role adopting innovative strategies to minimize the adverse impact of the pandemic.

Objectives: To identify and describe core services provided by the pharmacist during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A literature search was performed in MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and LILACS for studies published between December 1st, 2019 and May 20th, 2020 without language restriction.

Association between anticholinergic burden and anticholinergic adverse outcomes in the elderly: Pharmacological basis of their predictive value for adverse outcomes.

The use of anticholinergic drugs and other drugs with anticholinergic activity is highly prevalent in older people. Cumulative anticholinergic effects, known as anticholinergic burden, are associated with important peripheral and central adverse effects and outcomes. Several methods have been developed to quantify anticholinergic burden and to estimate the risk of adverse anticholinergic effects.

Size of the associations between anticholinergic burden tool scores and adverse outcomes in older patients.

Background Several anticholinergic scales and equations to evaluate the anticholinergic burden have been previously created. Association of these instruments with the anticholinergic outcomes are usually estimated by means of hypothesis contrast tests, which ignore the size of the association effect. Objective To evaluate the effect size of the associations between the scores on cumulative anticholinergic burden instruments with peripheral or central anticholinergic adverse outcomes in older patients.

Mobile Applications (Apps) to Support the Hepatitis C Treatment: A Systematic Search in App Stores.

The purpose of this review was to identify apps to support the HCV treatment and perform a quality assessment. A comprehensive search was conducted until February 2020 in Apple App Store (iOs) and Google Play Store (Android) using search term such "hepatitis", "hepatology", and "HCV". Two independent authors identified the apps and performed data extraction and quality assessment using Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS).

Contribution of Different Patient Information Sources to Create the Best Possible Medication History.

Introduction: Obtaining the best possible medication history is the crucial step in medication reconciliation. Our aim was to evaluate the potential contributions of the main data sources available - patient/caregiver, hospital medical records, and shared electronic health records - to obtain an accurate 'best possible medication history'.

Material And Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted.

How Can Biomolecules Improve Mucoadhesion of Oral Insulin? A Comprehensive Insight using , , and Models.

Currently, insulin can only be administered through the subcutaneous route. Due to the flaws associated with this route, it is of interest to orally deliver this drug. However, insulin delivered orally has several barriers to overcome as it is degraded by the stomach's low pH, enzymatic content, and poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract.

Patients' clinical information requirements to apply the STOPP/START criteria.

Background The STOPP/START criteria are an explicit tool to detect potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs). Patient clinical information may not be available in all settings. Objective To identify patient clinical information needed to apply the STOPP/START criteria.

Consequences of ignoring patient diagnoses when using the 2015 Updated Beers Criteria.

Background: Beers Criteria are one of the best known explicit criteria to identify inappropriate medication in elderly that can be used in medication review. The access to patients' medical records may be different among healthcare professionals and settings and, subsequently, the identification of patients' diagnoses may be compromised.

Objective: To assess the consequences of ignoring patient diagnoses when applying 2015 Beers Criteria to identify potentially inappropriate medication (PIM).

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of a European Portuguese version of the 8-item Morisky medication adherence scale.

Introduction And Objective: The 8-Item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) is one of the most widely used instruments to assess medication adherence, but a validated European Portuguese version of MMAS-8 does not exist. Our aim was to develop and validate a European Portuguese version of the MMAS-8.

Methods: A process of translation and back-translation of the original MMAS-8 was performed.